Howdy! My name is XTIAN, I am a surrealistical artist guy from Melbournia. This be a blog of my arts, a sort of "what's new?" with regards to everything from collages to music to film. I make a lot of stuff (mostly collages though. Do you? Get in touch.) WARNING: some of this gear may be NSFW.
For more of my stuff see www.gadzooxtian.com .

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

About three films and my lack of English

Saw Terry Gilliam's BRAZIL at an arty cinema last night - not seen it on the big screen before.
It is astonishing. An absolute cinematic masterpiece. Just brilliant.

I first saw it on TV back in 87 or so, when my English was practically super-limited/ non-existent. And yet - how captivating it was despite the confusion (and some people who speak fluent English find the film confusing anyway)!!!

And it occurred to me that 3 of my favourite films ever - I saw as a boy with little to no English: BRAZIL, David Lynch's DUNE, and Ridley Scott's BLADE RUNNER.

There are many other films I saw as a boy-with-no-English, but these three were somehow very special in my head: there was something important happening on the screen in each one that I knew I had to revisit once I mastered the Queen's own vocab.

And I wasn't disappointed (even if you think DUNE is goofy). Is it their dream-like qualities? I mean they're all very visual films but the visuals DO NOT help you follow or decipher the story. I think it was the incredible confusion that had me coming back - why ARE these films so strange? They're not cops-and-robbers films, or soldier films or comedies... I knew that much.

I have no message or conclusion here, just an observation about how three amazing films - despite my utter lack of understanding of them - have managed to stay with me for life - and become my favourites - oh and how they did not disappoint once I did kapish.